Artie Burns fueled by avoiding the dreaded label of ‘bust’

Steelers' latest cornerback experiment: William Gay in slot, Artie Burns on the outside

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have invested heavily in the secondary the last few years and still appear to have depth issues.

Their third cornerback this preseason has been a safety, rookie Sean Davis. The Steelers would like to sign Keenan Lewis but have not because of his lingering groin/hip issues.

But with 15 days before the opener at Washington, the Steelers are experimenting with lineup changes in practice.

On Sunday, the team worked this group together, according to defensive coordinator Keith Butler: veteran William Gay in the slot, safety Robert Golden moving to inside linebacker (which he did at times last year in the nickel package), Davis at safety alongside Mike Mitchell and first-rounder Artie Burns on the outside alongside Ross Cockrell.

Burns was back at practice Sunday after missing much of the last month with a quad injury.

"We are going to look at other things," Butler said. "We take a look at that to get a feel for where they are at."

Asked about whether corner depth is a concern -- the fourth corner is anyone's guess -- Butler said, "We've got some guys who could end up being pretty good players."

This lineup would get the Steelers' top two picks, Burns and Davis, on the field together. Davis has split time between safety and slot corner.

If Burns is ready for game action, he gives the Steelers more flexibility. He's a true outside corner. And he's expected to play a lot in the final preseason game so the Steelers can evaluate his readiness.

"He needs to play and he looks like he's fine to me," Butler said. "He looks like he's ready to play. He's behind in regards to being on the field. You can't substitute for that."

Generally, Butler likes what he's seeing from all of his defensive rookie draft picks, particularly third-round tackle Javon Hargrave. The Steelers felt they were getting a 'steal' in Hargrave during April's draft, Butler said, and Hargrave has affirmed that belief.

As for Davis, the Steelers like him enough to try him at both spots. Butler said he's making sure not to overload him and admits certain slot receiver matchups have been a challenge for the rookie. For example, Lions receiver Anquan Bolden "schooled him a little bit" in the preseason opener, Butler said.

to read rest of article:

http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/19920/steelers-latest-cornerback-experiment-william-gay-in-the-slot-artie-burns-on-the-outside

Lets see if they still play 5-10 yards off their man this season

BKAnthem wrote:

Lets see if they still play 5-10 yards off their man this season

Yes, they will still give a cushion pre snap, its common in zone coverage. Steelers don't play press man coverage and if they did, the opposing offenses would just beat our CB's on "9" routes all day.

Artie Burns readies for first game

By Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Artie Burns’ rookie training camp has been one he’d rather forget. The Steelers’ first-round cornerback injured his quad and was forced to miss the first three preseason games, taking away as any chance of earning a starting job.

Burns finally will make his Steelers debut Thursday night in the final preseason game against Carolina. Of all the preseason games, the fourth is the most meaningless. Starters don’t play, and the main goal for coaches is to get out of the game without any major injuries.

But for Burns, it will be a meaningful first step in his quest to fulfill the promise the Steelers had for him when they made him the No. 25 overall selection the draft this spring.

“I still feel like I can contribute,” Burns said. “I feel like they drafted me for a reason. I’m always going to give them my all.”

READ MORE: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/08/30/Steelers-notebook-Rookie-first-round-pick-Artie-Burns-readies-for-first-game/stories/201608300042

It's only meaningless if you're already on the roster as a starter. For Burns, this is his time to shine and really there's only two outcomes here:
1. He shows he's not ready to play in this defense and is relegated to backup position
2. He burns it up and give the coaches something to think about for 2016.

For Steelers CB Artie Burns, Thursday is more than a meaningless final preseason game

By Jeff.Hartman
Aug 30, 2016



There are few, if any, football games which carry less significance than the last game of the preseason. With the majority of starters being rested for the following week's regular season contest, most fans don't think twice about missing the game and just reading recaps of what went down on that particular night.

While some fans, and even players, will write off the fourth preseason game, one member of the Pittsburgh Steelers isn't. That player would be none other than 1st draft pick Artie Burns. Burns, who suffered a quadriceps injury early in training camp, has missed all three preseason games to date, but is slated to participate against the Carolina Panthers Thursday night.

Admittedly, he feels behind from a physical standpoint, but it doesn't mean the mental aspect of his game is on par with the other members of the secondary.

"I feel like I'm behind from the reps standpoint," Burns told Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I haven't been getting the training camp or game reps. As for the mental part of it, I feel like I'm in it. I made sure I watched film. That was the only way I could stay in it. I couldn't do anything physical. I had to stay in it mentally."

The big question remains on the minds of fans everywhere, "What can Burns actually bring to the team in 2016 when he is so far behind?" Burns feels as if he can still provide something to the 2016 Steelers defense.

to read rest of article:

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/nfl-pittsburgh-steelers-news/2016/8/30/12707638/for-steelers-cb-artie-burns-thursday-is-more-than-a-meaningless-final

Ed Bouchette ‏@EdBouchette

Predictable dull first half, but Steelers rookie CB Artie Burns did have 2 nice breakups at goalline to save TDs on separate drives

https://twitter.com/EdBouchette?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Artie looked great for being in his first game action. He made some mistakes, but that's expected.

He'll get playing time this year.

Flashed some skills and should've had an INT. I hope he just continues to improve and turns out to be a force for us when the time comes.

Covering the panthers wr's must have been a cake walk compared to facing AB in practice lol

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

Flashed some skills and should've had an INT. I hope he just continues to improve and turns out to be a force for us when the time comes.

As long as by "when the time comes" you mean year 3.

Vis wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

Flashed some skills and should've had an INT. I hope he just continues to improve and turns out to be a force for us when the time comes.

As long as by "when the time comes" you mean year 3.  

Yeah we certainly don't need any help in the secondary for the next two years. We're set!

Artie Burns Pleased With Preseason Debut

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/09/burns-pleased-preseason-debut/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Steelers top pick Burns passes 1st test

By Mark Kaboly

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If Steelers rookie cornerback Artie Burns' professional debut Thursday against the Carolina Panthers was any kind of a glimpse into how the first-round pick is capable of playing, that already-written-off rookie year just might have to be revisited.

And the Steelers just might have to revisit how they plan on structuring their secondary a little bit sooner than expected.

Burns played the entire first half — 47 snaps — of Thursday's 18-6 preseason finale loss to the defending NFC champion Panthers at Bank of America Stadium and it was barely noticeable that Burns spent the better part of the past month watching practices rather than participating in them while battling a nagging quad injury.

READ MORE: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/11077193-74/burns-steelers-game

Just watched the first half and Burns still has a long way to go IMO. He did a lot of "watching" and "peeking" into the backfield with flat feet, which isn't great IMO. Not as much technique in his backpedal.

The pass breakup on the goal line was an underthrow and not great technique, but good athleticism to get a hand on the ball. The 2nd one that should have been pass interference for hitting the WR before the ball arrived, was actually better as he had a good backpedal, looked thru the route to the QB and broke on the football. That play, even though is was illegal showed better technique and awareness IMO.

I think as long as he keeps working, he is going to get worked into the rotation to see where he stands during the season. I still think week 1 that they look more to Gay, Cockrell and Davis as the top 3 CB's.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Just watched the first half and Burns still has a long way to go IMO.  He did a lot of "watching" and "peeking" into the backfield with flat feet, which isn't great IMO.  Not as much technique in his backpedal.

The pass breakup on the goal line was an underthrow and not great technique, but good athleticism to get a hand on the ball.  The 2nd one that should have been pass interference for hitting the WR before the ball arrived, was actually better as he had a good backpedal, looked thru the route to the QB and broke on the football.  That play, even though is was illegal showed better technique and awareness IMO.

I think as long as he keeps working, he is going to get worked into the rotation to see where he stands during the season.  I still think week 1 that they look more to Gay, Cockrell and Davis as the top 3 CB's.

The best thing he has going for him is that his last name isn't Blake.

Wallace108 wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Just watched the first half and Burns still has a long way to go IMO.  He did a lot of "watching" and "peeking" into the backfield with flat feet, which isn't great IMO.  Not as much technique in his backpedal.

The pass breakup on the goal line was an underthrow and not great technique, but good athleticism to get a hand on the ball.  The 2nd one that should have been pass interference for hitting the WR before the ball arrived, was actually better as he had a good backpedal, looked thru the route to the QB and broke on the football.  That play, even though is was illegal showed better technique and awareness IMO.

I think as long as he keeps working, he is going to get worked into the rotation to see where he stands during the season.  I still think week 1 that they look more to Gay, Cockrell and Davis as the top 3 CB's.

The best thing he has going for him is that his last name isn't Blake.

Shhhhhhhh! Dont say that name for another month please. I'm worried the former #41 might get cut from the Titans and Carnell Lake will want him back and give him more chances to "rebound from last weeks performance".

I'm seriously paranoid they might do it.

Steelers Film Room: Artie Burns debut in a Steelers uniform does not disappoint

By Fear94 on Sep 7, 2016



Artie Burns made his preseason debut against the Panthers and he showed us why length and height are such wanted traits in NFL CB's, along with showing us why his ball skills were so coveted coming out of Miami.

The long awaited preseason debut of Artie Burns proved to not disappoint. Unlike the cornerbacks that were on the Steelers in the past 2 years or so, Burns is a long tall, gifted athlete that can defend well because of his size. Less in the mold of a William Gay and more in the mold of an Ike Taylor.

Burns though, like many other talented prospects, had his flaws coming out of the University of Miami. Whether it was his inconsistent tackling, being overly physical in coverage (doesn't bug me as much), his unfluid hip turn (which could be pointed to his high center of gravity IE lack of bend), high backpedal and his lack of technique in coverage, there was much to be concerned about

These things you could point blame at Miami due to their obvious track record of players performing better in the pro's than they did in college. Maybe it was the fact Artie Burns was a track star and didn't have nearly as much time to work on things like technique.

Regardless of his weaknesses and who's to blame, his strengths are something you can't teach like his height and length, straight line speed and ball skills. Burns was also highly regarded for his ability to bait QB's into horrid throws. His length also helps in regard to defending passes and having a little more room for error.

Perfect form tackle

Out of all the plays I saw Artie Burns make, this one was by far the one that stood out the most. The Steelers CB's can sometimes frustrate us fans greatly with their missed tackles on defense. Well, perhaps the rest of the corners can learn a thing or two from Burns from this play:

to read rest of article:

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/steelers-film-room/2016/9/7/12787356/steelers-film-room-artie-burns-debut-in-a-steelers-uniform-does-not

He's going to play much more than many thought/think. Won't be a redshirt year for him.

The future for young players is now. But there are pros and cons to risk it. Either you are a hit or a bust.

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Steelers Film Room: Artie Burns debut in a Steelers uniform does not disappoint

By Fear94 on Sep 7, 2016



Artie Burns made his preseason debut against the Panthers and he showed us why length and height are such wanted traits in NFL CB's, along with showing us why his ball skills were so coveted coming out of Miami.

The long awaited preseason debut of Artie Burns proved to not disappoint. Unlike the cornerbacks that were on the Steelers in the past 2 years or so, Burns is a long tall, gifted athlete that can defend well because of his size. Less in the mold of a William Gay and more in the mold of an Ike Taylor.

Burns though, like many other talented prospects, had his flaws coming out of the University of Miami. Whether it was his inconsistent tackling, being overly physical in coverage (doesn't bug me as much), his unfluid hip turn (which could be pointed to his high center of gravity IE lack of bend), high backpedal and his lack of technique in coverage, there was much to be concerned about

These things you could point blame at Miami due to their obvious track record of players performing better in the pro's than they did in college. Maybe it was the fact Artie Burns was a track star and didn't have nearly as much time to work on things like technique.

Regardless of his weaknesses and who's to blame, his strengths are something you can't teach like his height and length, straight line speed and ball skills. Burns was also highly regarded for his ability to bait QB's into horrid throws. His length also helps in regard to defending passes and having a little more room for error.

Perfect form tackle

Out of all the plays I saw Artie Burns make, this one was by far the one that stood out the most. The Steelers CB's can sometimes frustrate us fans greatly with their missed tackles on defense. Well, perhaps the rest of the corners can learn a thing or two from Burns from this play:

to read rest of article:

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/steelers-film-room/2016/9/7/12787356/steelers-film-room-artie-burns-debut-in-a-steelers-uniform-does-not

These articles are funny to read when the bloggers don't know what they are talking about. Anybody that played some football will know that the tackle highlighted was not "perfect form tackle". Burns hits to the WR, not thru him. He tackles high and stops moving his feet.

The next GIF the blogger praises Burns for keeping his eyes on the QB and reacting as a WR runs a 10 yard out/corner route. First thing, an out route and a corner route are 2 different things...this kid needs to google a passing tree. You will see that Burns has safety help in the middle and is playing "outside technique" on the WR because of that. The coverage allows for him to look thru the zone where he can see the WR, QB, O line and even thru to the RB. Its elementary stuff that is done by 9 year olds in Pop Warner.

Short of it is, Burns got in a preseason game finally. He had some good plays and still needs a lot of work in alignment and reading his keys, but he's gonna get the time to work at it. The bloggers descriptions I find amusing, as his incorrect descriptions would be like complimenting Trump's barber for a good "brush cut" and keeping his eyes on the scissors.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Steelers Film Room: Artie Burns debut in a Steelers uniform does not disappoint

By Fear94 on Sep 7, 2016



Artie Burns made his preseason debut against the Panthers and he showed us why length and height are such wanted traits in NFL CB's, along with showing us why his ball skills were so coveted coming out of Miami.

The long awaited preseason debut of Artie Burns proved to not disappoint. Unlike the cornerbacks that were on the Steelers in the past 2 years or so, Burns is a long tall, gifted athlete that can defend well because of his size. Less in the mold of a William Gay and more in the mold of an Ike Taylor.

Burns though, like many other talented prospects, had his flaws coming out of the University of Miami. Whether it was his inconsistent tackling, being overly physical in coverage (doesn't bug me as much), his unfluid hip turn (which could be pointed to his high center of gravity IE lack of bend), high backpedal and his lack of technique in coverage, there was much to be concerned about

These things you could point blame at Miami due to their obvious track record of players performing better in the pro's than they did in college. Maybe it was the fact Artie Burns was a track star and didn't have nearly as much time to work on things like technique.

Regardless of his weaknesses and who's to blame, his strengths are something you can't teach like his height and length, straight line speed and ball skills. Burns was also highly regarded for his ability to bait QB's into horrid throws. His length also helps in regard to defending passes and having a little more room for error.

Perfect form tackle

Out of all the plays I saw Artie Burns make, this one was by far the one that stood out the most. The Steelers CB's can sometimes frustrate us fans greatly with their missed tackles on defense. Well, perhaps the rest of the corners can learn a thing or two from Burns from this play:

to read rest of article:

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/steelers-film-room/2016/9/7/12787356/steelers-film-room-artie-burns-debut-in-a-steelers-uniform-does-not

These articles are funny to read when the bloggers don't know what they are talking about.  Anybody that played some football will know that the tackle highlighted was not "perfect form tackle".   Burns hits to the WR, not thru him.  He tackles high and stops moving his feet.

The next GIF the blogger praises Burns for keeping his eyes on the QB and reacting as a WR runs a 10 yard out/corner route.  First thing, an out route and a corner route are 2 different things...this kid needs to google a passing tree.  You will see that Burns has safety help in the middle and is playing "outside technique" on the WR because of that.  The coverage allows for him to look thru the zone where he can see the WR, QB, O line and even thru to the RB.  Its elementary stuff that is done by 9 year olds in Pop Warner.

Short of it is, Burns got in a preseason game finally.  He had some good plays and still needs a lot of work in alignment and reading his keys, but he's gonna get the time to work at it.  The bloggers descriptions I find amusing, as his incorrect descriptions would be like complimenting Trump's barber for a good "brush cut" and keeping his eyes on the scissors.

Agreed. Sometimes people get so caught up in analysis, they get a little ahead of themselves. Here's a draft of the article that should have been written:

Quote :

Artie Burns has more potential than Antwon Blake. The End.

James C Wexell ‏@jimwexell

Keith Butler agrees with me that Artie Burns is showing more intensity in practice this week and "I think he's covering 84 better."

Doesn't dismiss the notion that the arrival of Justin Gilbert has motivated Burns. "If it is, I'll take it," Butler said.

https://twitter.com/jimwexell?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Covering AB better?

*Evil grin/nod*

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

James C Wexell ‏@jimwexell  

Keith Butler agrees with me that Artie Burns is showing more intensity in practice this week and "I think he's covering 84 better."

Doesn't dismiss the notion that the arrival of Justin Gilbert has motivated Burns. "If it is, I'll take it," Butler said.

https://twitter.com/jimwexell?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

I like hearing this. The one thing about Burns is that he seems like he is ready to work and take coaching to be his best. No concerns about him wanting to work.

Likewise, if Gilbert takes the clean slate and thinks he can be the backup to Gay, then great too!! Not much better than 2 young athletes competing for the same CB job which would put Will Gay inside in nickel, or push Cockrell to the #4CB.